A Shropshire MP today called for an urgent meeting with ministers over the future of RAF Cosford after politicians and business leaders voiced their bewilderment at the devastating rejection of its bid to become Britain’s supercentre for defence training.
Anger and frustration met the failure of ministers to spell out the base’s future following the announcement that RAF St Athan in South Wales had won a £16 billion contract for training personnel from all three armed services.
Cosford’s current training role will end in 2011, although winning bidder consortium Metrix confirmed last night that it hoped that some people would be retained at Cosford.
Neither ministers nor defence chiefs could say how many military or civilian jobs would be lost at Cosford in the transfer to South Wales.
Shropshire MPs called for Cosford to be given the “silver medal” by becoming the site for a new super-garrison to house Army regiments being pulled out of Germany.
Telford Labour MP David Wright said: “I have written today to the Defence Secretary, Des Browne, asking for an urgent cross-party meeting to talk about the future of Cosford.
“We are looking for a much firmer line and we want to hear a more developed case for a garrison at Cosford. The Government needs to move quickly on this.”
Wrekin Tory MP Mark Pritchard said: “There has been no guarantee that new defence sector jobs will be put in place to mitigate the impact of the decision.
“The Defence Secretary would only give vague comments and aspirations as to what might come to Cosford in the future.
“I will be pressing the Defence Secretary to give details on what if any future defence investment will be forthcoming to Cosford.”
Mr Browne told the Commons that Cosford was a “flexible” defence site and would remain open, but ministers later refused to say whether it would become the new garrison site.
Junior minister Derek Twigg said: “There are a number of options as to what we do about the future placing of our armed forces. One of them is a super-garrison.”
Mr Twigg denied that there had been any political interference in the decision to choose St Athan in advance of the Welsh Assembly elections in May.
He also rejected claims of a conflict of interest arising from the award of the contract to a consortium led by former state defence research body Qinetic, a company in which the Government still retains a 19 per cent stake.
Meanwhile, businesses could lose a fortune as a direct result of RAF Cosford losing out on its bid for the multi-billion pound training contract, it was claimed today.
Owners of shops, pubs and businesses throughout Cosford and Albrighton spoke of their fears today.
Pat Richards, chairman of the Albrighton Traders Association, said: “We are gutted. It will mean a big downturn in trade if they are going to close Cosford.
“What’s going to happen to Cosford will remain to be seen. It’s going to have an impact. The families will remain here for a while but after that it will leave a big hole for Cosford and Albrighton.”
Mike Pickard has run Albrighton and Donington Nursery for 40 years and said a quarter of the children come from families at RAF Cosford.
Mr Pickard said: “We are the nearest nursery to Cosford so we do enjoy about a quarter of our clientele from the base and we will lose that. In due course this will have a natural affect on the nursery. It is a sad day for the whole community.”
Nikkie Smith, assistant manager of The Old Bush in Albrighton, said: “The village is going to lose so much business – everyone will lose a fortune.
“The staff from the base do spend a lot of money here and there is a lot of them – this is the closest place to Cosford.
“They come and spend a fortune. Every shop and pub is going to lose so much business.”
Salop Caravans (Cosford) Ltd is one of the nearest businesses to the base and has been there since 1983.
Mervyn Hughes, managing director, said: “It is a big employer in the area and we do get people coming in from there. We have employed a lot of the servicemen’s wives over the years.”
Nicky Smith, of Ace Cars taxi service in Albrighton said: “We have a number of people that we take to work at Cosford and pick up again at night. We also do a big trade at night with workers that come into Albrighton for a drink by taxi. We have a lot of customers at RAF Cosford.”
Colin Sweeney, chief executive of Weston Park, said: “Obviously we have got very strong links with Cosford which have been there for many years because of the tourism activity. I think it is really sad news for everyone.”
James Watkins, West Midlands Business Council executive director, said it was a “blow for the people and businesses” in the region.
He said: “We must now look to the future so today we are telling the Government that they must not use the decision to award the defence training contract to St Athan in south Wales to close the Cosford base.”
Professor Caroline Gipps, vice chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, which was a partner organisation in the “Let’s Fly Cosford” bid, said: “This is bitterly disappointing news for Cosford and the people who work and live there. It’s extremely regrettable that the investment will not be coming to the Midlands.
“A very good case was put forward to show that Cosford was the logical place for the Ministry of Defence, offering a value for money proposition as well as all the added benefits of a central location, access to a skilled workforce, business base and education and training providers.
“We will shortly be reviewing the full impact with our partners and the university will be working hard to bring new projects into the (Wolverhampton Telford) Technology Corridor that will create new jobs and new investment.”
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YOUR COMMENTS:
* What will happen to the airshow after Cosford is shut/moved/redeployed?
Mandy Mangham
I am a civil servant at RAF Cosford. I am facing the loss of my job because I do not intend moving away from the area because it would involve to much upheaval for my family, something I might add the government doesn’t care realy care about because all it is interested in is making profit from its Qinetic shares. Could I also say that I watched the announcement live on BBC Parliament yesterday and I thought it was disgusting watching all the South Wales Labour MPs very selfishly gloating over jobs for people in Wales, not realy caring about the jobs that will be lost around the UK because of the privatisation of training. In particular in the Midlands where it is just one closure after another big and small, Peugeot, Rover, Heinz, British Sugar, Saphire House to mention but a few, followed by Cosford. The Labour Party have shown complete disregard for jobs in the Midlands and don’t deserve to keep a single seat around here.
Kevin Wheeler
See also – Letters: Thanks to Cosford supporters
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